Marble game



Patented Oct. 13, 1953 .MARBLE GAME" Mei-lin Edwin-d' Engle, Sti-Paul; Application-July24; ,1950,.SerialNol 175,539

1'5i Claims; (Cl. 2'73`A123'i" l. .This t invention` relates f to` an improvement" in marble game ofv a type. in..which.marbles roll by.' gravity from.v a starting. positiontoa.. selected. final position. f l

The. object of thepresentinvention lies-.in the provision offa marble. game whicliis entertaining-and educational. y Themarble game includes a series ,or movably supported.l concentric rings Whichare :pocketed tocontain marbles. Theun-h permost ring. of.-the.seriesA includes` a seriesbf pockets` for accommodating all ofthe marbles of all-ofthe playersat-thestartof the game. `The remaining y-rings include alesser number. of po'cketsA intowhich. themarbls roll by gravity whena pocket-in :one ring isfy aligned witha pocket .1n another. The pockets.` described' are merely inclined notchesin the4 rings so. .thatgthefV marbles will roll:y from.. a` `pocket in one.. ring.. .to` a i pocket in .alower ringwhenthe pockets. are. properly.r 20

A feature .ofthe present` invention. lies` .in then provision. of a marble game .includingiia seriesof notchedlor pocketed concentric; rings. arranged one .within another, .the `pockets ofone ringb'eing unequally.. spaced-L4 with.4 the, pockets of'A the ,next`4 adjacent. rings.` Thus` it .is,..possible. 13o-align. a r pock'et.. in one; ring. with 1 a. single.. pocket .in .the next adjacent ringI without aligning. any. additionalpocketsdnthe.two rings.r As a..result".it.is possible to move .one marble Vfrom a pocketin one. ring.. .to a pocketin"` the .next lowerring. .without` changing 'the positions offtlie remaining marbles.

Aifeature ofv the present invention.li`es...in'the provisin'. off' an.apparatus.of the. type. described which requires vskill. andplanningto. operate. :As .x eachring. contains. a pluralityof-fnotches or. puck-A ets, andy as .the marbles of all.' `p1ayers.areusually simultaneously supportedJ Lthe .notches-.of` any` ringe, caretmust be taken. rotating tlexings to accomplish a. predetermined play. Before each...player voperates the. game in.. his...turn,.v he r must describe the result of the play he intends.. totmake. Inanyzunplanned.playf-shall-take-place, the player .makingsthe .mi-splay; is. penalized... .As a result., considerable thought Y,andlzilanning-i is required. to properly play.` the.. game. l

"A1 feature. of the4 present invention .lie'sin .the`

provision of' a" game havinga series' of concentn'c ringswlncmare: arranged in stepped Tell@- tionandwhich are concentric,` and in providing:

corinnedating` marbles;A The. marbles. contained' inthe. pockets bffeach 'ring bear. against the `outer circumference. of `.`..tl`1e"'.next lower. ringe andi-Lare` held inthe. pockets. by. .the..next= lower .ringiuntilc .tatablel 'rings "f2 thenotch'es of two (rings are aligned. When any two. notches become.aligned,". .the marble of'ltlie uppermost notch will roll into the' lowermost not'ch Due to the unevenspacing. of the notches' in most of 'the-rings, care must be taken topre'- vent' an unplanned move of the marbles.

These and other obj ects' and novel features.. of

my inventionfwill be moreiclea'rlyancl fiillwsetA forth in' the rfollowingi?specification. and "claims,

LIn'the'r drawings" forming a partlof'm'y specifica-` tion:

Figure' 1? is a top plan View of'the gameshowingthe. general 'arrangementofthe parts thereof Eigurez is' a'. crossesectional View through the game' 'showing thegeneral" arrangement ofthe rings therein.

"Figure` 3 is a se'ctionallview` similarfto'Figure 2 showing a modified" form. of construction. in

which the' rings are staged' downwardly. toward the" outer circumference' offthe game .rather than toward the center thereof;`

'The'gam'e is relativelysimplezin construction.

Wardlir and' inwardly inclined` ring supporting.

iv on its uppersurface'aseries 0f steps; The outermost andi largest'idiameter stepA is indicated at- I3; successively lower and smaller 'diameter ste'psare'indicated at I4, |51 212; and^`-235 ,Allofthesteps are ring 'shapedin form,-providing a terraced 'structurewhichis rel` ativ'ely" high'near the'outer extremity, arid relatively -lvvfnear itsinner" extremity;

The uppermost and outermost' step' I 3 incldes arrota'table ringill which includes aseries offen- In they form" of "constru-ctionillustrated Athis outerV outer ring' 2'4linto four. segmentsprovides a startingarea-forieach offth'e players. anda.marb1er 31|.` 1s placed 'in eachA offlthe pockets 2:5. In orderrtoadiie'rentiate Vthe .marbles of indvidualrplayers,

the marbles in each segment arepreferablycol ored similarly` to` the. ring-sector in.-which= they are originally placed Similarly` the .marbles7 of each player.. may. be,.provi'ded .with-identifying:

indicia which distinguishes them from the marbles of another player. The marbles 3|, when located in the notches 25 of the outermost ring 24, are held in place by Vengagement with the outer periphery of the next adjacent ring 32 which rests upon the step I4 and is rotatable thereon. IThe ring 32 is thick enough to extend above the base of the notches 25 in the outer ring 24 and the marbles are prevented from rolling toward the center of the apparatus by the outer wall of the ring 32. The notches 25 are inclined downwardly and inwardly toward the center of the game so that the marbles 3| have a tendency to roll inwardly and downwardly.

The ring 32 is provided with seven angularly spaced pockets 33 which are not all equi-distant apart. As a result when any of the pockets 33 are aligned with the pocket 25 of the outer ring 24, no other pocket 33 is simultaneously aligned. As a result it is possible to align any of the seven pockets 33 with a pocket 25 in the outer ring without simultaneously aligning any other pair of pockets. In order that the game may be started while all of the pockets 33 are misaligned with all of the pockets 25, identifying pointers or other indicia, such as 34 and 35 are provided on the rings 24 and 32. When these pointers 34 and 35 are together, all of the pockets of the ring 32 are out of alignment with all of the pockets 25 of the ring 24.

The notches 33 are provided with inclined surfaces so that the marbles contained therein tend to roll downwardly and inwardly. The marbles in the pockets 33 are held in place by engagement with the outer periphery of the ring 33. I'he ring 33 is supported upon the step i5 and is freely rotatable thereupon, the outer wall of the ring being above the level of the bases of the pockets or notches 33 so that the marbles will be maintained in these pockets.

The ring 36 is provided with 'six pockets 31 having inclined lower surfaces and which may be aligned with the pockets 33. The pockets 31 are spaced unequal angles apart so that only one pocket will align with a pocket 33 of the ring 32 at a time. However, when the notches 31 are spaced from the notches 33, it is diicult to equally estimate which notch 31 will rst become aligned with a notch 33, as two or more notches may be almost aligned simultaneously.

A ring 39 rests upon the step U5 and rotates freely thereupon. This ring 33 contains six pockets 40 which are spaced unequal distances apart so that only one notch 45 will be simultaneously aligned with a notch 31. The marbles in the notches 31 are held from rolling inwardly by the outer periphery of the ring 33 until notches of the two rings are aligned. A concentric ring 4I rests upon the step l1 and is freely rotatable thereupon. This ring 4i is of sufficient height tc prevent marbles in the notches 40 from rolling downwardly until pockets 42 in the ring 4l align with the pockets 43. The spacing of the pockets 42 is such that no two pair of pockets in the ring 4l yand the ring 39 are simultaneously aligned.

The next ring 43 includes four angularly spaced pockets 44. The ring 43 rests upon the step IS and is rotatable relative to the step and relative to the other rings. The next ring 45 rests upon the step 20 and is freely rotatable thereupon. The ring 45 includes pockets 45 which are ve in number.

The next ring 41 includes four angularly spaced pockets 49 and rests upon the step 2l and rotates freely thereon. A ninth ring t restsupon the step 22 and includes four angularly spaced pockets 5|. The innermost ring 52 rests upon the step 23 and includes pockets 53 which are five in number.

All of the rings are provided with similar pockets which tend to roll the marbles downwardly and inwardly and the pockets of each ring are so spaced so that only one pocket of each ring will register with a corresponding pocket of a next adjacent ring. However, the spacing is such that it is difficult to estimate which pair of pockets will first become aligned when the two rings are rotated relatively.

The base lil includes a center portion 54 which is divided by rectangularly arranged partitions 55 and 56 into four sector shaped areas.

A wall 51 encircles these sector shaped areas and the walls are provided with notches 59 therein which may be aligned with notches 53 of the ring 52. Only one notch 59 will register with a notch 53 at a time. rIhe wall 51 is of sufficient height to prevent the marbles from rolling into the sector shaped areas until a notch is aligned with a pocket or notch 53.

The four sector shaped areas of the center portion are preferably colored similarly to the four sections of the outermost ring 24 so that each player has a corresponding area into which his marbles must be rolled. This fact considerably complicates the playing operation and if a marble of one color should drop into a pocket 53 in the ring 52 at a point substantially spaced from the notch 53 leading to the area into which his marbles must drop, it may be impossible to rotate the ring 52 so that the marble will fallv into the proper sector. In preferred arrangement the base li] and the outer ring 24 are provided with some means of synchronization so that the sector shaped area at the center of the game board is in the same quadrant as the marb-les of that player at the start of the game.

In playing the game, the marbles of each player are placed in the pockets 25 in the outermost ring 24, while the outer ring is properly located relative to the base and while the marks 34 and 35 are aligned. If four players are playing the game, each player may be assigned the marbles in one section of the ring. If three players are playing, the marbles of one section may be omitted. If two players are playing the game, each player may use the marbles of one quadrant of the board or half of the board.

The starting player announces the'play he intends to make by touching or pointing to a particular marble and by stating that the marble indicated is to drop into a particular pocket which is also indicated. The uppermost ring 24 is next rotated to bring about this play. If the play is found impossible to accomplish without some other marble rst dropping into a pocket, the play is stopped and the player loses his turn.

After the marbles are dropped into the pockets of lower rings, if the play indicated can not be made Without first dropping another marble into `an unindicated pocket, the player unable to make the play is required to place the marble indicated back in a pocket in the outermost ring 24 to restart the procedure. Obviously if a player is able towork a single marble into a ring lower than any containing marbles of his opponent, the procedure forn directing this marble by successive plays into the center quadrant is relatively simple. However, in most instances the players are able to advance the marbles from ring tov MMM() ringfat; about tithe .-sametrate lthereforeV the movement of anyring4 in; making a play. is `correspondingly :complicated j: eFurthermore, if one player spends several turns in working a single marbleftozthe center quadralihithemthercplayer is usually tabla-towadvancef-.onetor ,two of his marbles beyond the remaining marbles of the rstplayer, thus equalizing the game. L.'Cn 'Figure-3 ofA the drawings-Iediscloseiamddii'ledA form of construction; which fis substantially the'A rversefof "the-Aconstructioni illustrated. I-n thefform of constructionillustrated in'FigurelS, thebasei 60 is provided witlra=terraced upper-` surface including a series i -of i *concentric circular steps 6| and supporting concentric rings 62. In this structure the marbles are started in the uppermost and outermost ring and worked toward the larger diameter and outermost ring. From the outermost ring 63, the marbles may pass through suitable notches into a peripheral trough shaped groove 64 which is divided into quadrants similar to the center portion of the previously described game construction. In other words, the modication illustrated in Figure 3 is merely convex instead of concave so that the marbles are worked outwardly from the center rather than inwardly toward the center.

The various rings of the games may be rotated in any suitable manner. Ears or projections may be provided on the rings by means of which they may be rotated. In the form of construction illustrated, I provide one or more apertures 65 in each of the rings. These apertures are designed to accommodate a peg or pencil point by means of which the rings may be rotated.

In accordance with the patent statutes, I have described the principles of construction and operation of my marble game, and While I have endeavored to set forth the best embodiments thereof, I desire to have it understood that these are only illustrative thereof and that obvious changes may be made within the scope of the following claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

I claim:

1. A marble game including a series of concentric ring means having inner and outer walls. the outer walls of one ring means being closely adjacent to the inner wall of the next adjacent ring means, said ring means being relatively rotatable, said ring means having angularly spaced notches therein, the bases of said notches being inclined to direct a marble toward a next adjacent ring means, the lower end of each notch being below .the level of the adjoining wall of the next adjacent ring means but no higher than the upper ends of the notches of the next adjacent ring means, the bases of said notches directing a marble into a registering notch of the next adjoining ring means through the lower end of the notch and into the higher end of the registering notch of the next adjacent ring means.

2. The structure dened in claim 1 and in which the angular distance between the notches of one ring means diiiers from the angular distance between notches of the next adjacent ring means.

3. The structure dened in claim 1 and including an enclosure into which marbles are guided by the notches of the lowermost ring means.

4. The structure defined in claim 1 and including an enclosure into which marbles are guided by the notches of the lowermost ring means, said enclosure havingawall concentrlcw-ithsaidring means and extending closely adjacentltosaid lewermostv ring meansand above A.the level i of the lower end .ofthetnotches fcthe lowermost ring .means ,sand notches infsaid last namedwall whichV may register with da Ynotch. of .the vlowermost ringmeans. `5. Afmarble. game including a ser-iesotcon'- `centric `ring .means ...arranged i-n .stepped relation, said. ring; Imeans vbeing relatively,n rotatable, said ring, means` having lnotches therein iniangularly spaced. relationr saidi notches inclining .ltoward the Vnext lower ring means,. the bases of the lower. ends. of. said .notches being below .i the level of the next lower ring means but not lower than the upper ends of the notches of the next adjacent ring means whereby marbles in said notches will be held confined in a notch until this notch registers with a notch of the next lower ring means, the notches extending substantially radially of said ring means.

6. The structure dened in claim 5 and in which the notches of one means are spaced apart an angular distance unequal with the angular spacing of the notches of the adjacent ring means.

7. The structure described in claim 5 and including a receptacle into which marbles are guided by the notches of the lowermost ring means.

8. The structure described in claim 5 and including a receptacle into which marbles are guided by the notches of the lowermost ring means, the receptacle having a wall extending closely adjacent to the lowermost ring means and extending above the level of the lower ends of the notches in the lowermost ring means, the receptacle wall having passages therethrough registrable with the last named notches to permit passage of marbles therethrough when a receptacle Wall notch and a lowermost ring notch are in registry.

9. The structure defined in claim 5 and in which the ring means step downwardly toward the center thereof.

10. The structure deiined in claim 5 in which the ring means step downwardly toward the outermost ring thereof.

11. A marble game including a series of concentric rings, means supporting said rings in stepped formation, said rings having angularly spaced radially extending notches therein through which marbles may pass entirely through the ring, the bases of said notches directing the marbles toward a next adjacent lower ring, the base of each notch being below the level of the adjoining edge of the next lower ring but not above the base of the grooves in this next lower ring whereby marbles will move from one ring to the next lower ring when the notches therein are in registry.

12. The structure defined in claim 11 and in which the angular distance between the notches of adjoining rings is dilerent.

13. The structure defined in claim 11 and inlcluding a receptacle into which the marbles may pass from the notches in the lowermost ring, and means dividing this receptacle into angularly spaced compartments.

14. The structure dened in claim 11 and including a receptacle into which marbles may be directed from the notches in the lowermost ring, a receptacle wall adjacent to the lowermost ring and extending above the level of the bases of the notches of the lowermost ring, and notches in the receptacle wall registrable with the notches of the lowermost ring.

15. A marbleV game including a series of concentric rings having inner and outer walls, the outer wall of one ring extending in closely spaced relation to the inner wall of the next adjoining ring, said rings being in stepped relation, with the largest ring outermost, inwardly inclined radially extending notches in said rings, the lower ends of the notches of one ring being below the level of the outer wall of the next adjoining ring, but not bel-ow the level of the upper ends of the notches in the next adjoining ring whereby the marbles may roll inwardly when the notches of two rings are in registry but are held in place when the notches are out of registry.

' MERLIN EDWARD ENGLE.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,018,840 Marikle Feb. 27, 1912 1,468,984 Weaver Sept. 25, 1923 1,474,488 Nelson Nov. 20, 1923 2,081,255 Troth May 25, 1937 2,128,988 Christian Sept. 6, 1938 2,215,696 Graves Sept. 24, 1940 

